Electric railway signaling system.



Nb. 863509. 'EATENTED AUG. 1s, 1907 c. M. CLEAVLAND. V

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SEGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED APE.8,1907.

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CHARLES MILTON CLEAVLAND, OF WAUSAU, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNORv OF ONE-FOURTH TO HIRAM DUNFIELD, OF WAUSAU, WISCONSIN.

ELCTRIG RAILWAY SIGNALING- SYSTEM.

Applicatl'iun filed April 8,1907. Serial No. 367,087.

Specification of Letters Patent.

retreated Aug. is, 1907.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

lBe it known that I, CHARLES MILTON CLEAVLAND, a citizen oi the United States, residing at Wausau, in the county of Marathon and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Electric Railway Signaling System, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railroad signals,V and has for its principal object to provide means whereby approaching trains may be warned when they arrive within a danger zone. v I v A further object oi the invention is to provide an electric railway signaling apparatus in which each train carries an independent source oi electrical energy for sending a signal to the opposite train and also a receiving apparatus in the form o a visual alarm which is actuated from the source o energy on the other train.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel form of traveling contact oi such construction as 1o readily clear the road bed Contact and thus prevent damage in case oi accidental displacement.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel features ,of construction and arrangement oi parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

. In the accompanying drawingsz-Figure 1 is a plan view of an electric railway signaling system constructed and arranged in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the traveling contact and road bed contact in operative position. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the devices moved to inoperative position.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying out the invention, each of the traffic railslOand ll forms one leg of a circuit, there being two separate circuits, one under the control oi a train moving in one direction, and the other under the control of a train moving in the opposite direction. i

'At the center of the road bed or other convenient point is placed a. supporting rail l5, having recessed side portions, in which are arranged two continuous conductors i6 and 17 which are insulated from the supporting rail l5, and are housed within the recesses, their vertical faces only being arranged to be engaged by traveling contacts, so that they will be relatively free from snow, dirt, and like obstructions. One of the signaling circuits is formed by the traffic rail l0, and the continuous conductor 16, and the other circuit is formed by the traiiic rail ll and the continuous con- On each train, and preferably carried by the locomotive or tender, is a traveling contact of the construction best shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This contafct com- G0 prises a block 20 having a pair of outwardly extending flanges 2l, andthe opposite sides of the lower edge o said block are providedwith downwardly extending flanges 22 that form guards which may engage with the opposite sides oi the rail l5 in order to prevent lateral G5 displacement. The under surface of this block is provided with a wear-strip 25 having upturned ends which are secured to the ends of the block, the wear strip being readily detachable, so that it may be renewed when occasion requires. Extending from the opposite sides of the block are a number of sets of pivot ears 26 between which are pivoted levers 27, the pivotal connections being insulated in order to prevent electrical contact between the arms and block. T-helower end of v each arm is recessed for the reception of a stud 28 that is 7 5 loosely mounted therein, and on the lower end of the stud is mounted a Contact roller 29 that is arranged to engage one of the continuous conductors oi the third rail. The arm is further provided with a downwardly extending fiange 3() that forms a guard for the roller 29. 8O The upper portion of the block is provided with recesses for the reception oi a number of vertically movable posts 32, there beingone of such posts for each pair oi pivoted levers 27, and the post is connected to the levers by mea-ns of links 33.

When the traveling contact is lowered7 the wear strip 25 will first engage with the top ofthe third rail and the post 32 will then remain stationary. The levers 27 continue to move down and owing to the links 33, the upper ends of said levers 27 will be spread, while the lower` 90 ends thereof which move toward each other and the rails 29 will be moved into engagement with the continuous contacts 16 and 17. If for any reason the traveling contact. is raised, the first effect will be to move the levers 27 upward and owing to the links 33, the np- 95 per ends of said levers will be moved inward, and their lower ends will be spread, thus freeing the rollers 29 from enga-gement with the conductors and permitting the removal of the traveling conductor from operative position without damage.

On each of the trains is a. source of electrical energy, represented in the present instance by small dynamos iO-4l, and each train also carries a visual signal i2-43, and a voltrneter, the voltmeters 44-45 and the signals being connected in multiple in the signaling'circuit. 105 Each train further carries a pole changing switch, the pole changers 46-47 being of any ordinary construction.

' l The current strength In the operation oi the system as thus ar described, when thetrainsA and B approach each other within signa-ling distance, the dynamo 40 on train A will be connected by the conductors 10 and l6'with the lamp 43 on train B, and the dynamo of train B will be con\ nected by the-conductors 11 and 17 with the lamp 42 of train A. l v may be arranged to display the signals at any desired distance, but in any case the lamps will glo'w faintly at first and will gradually increase in brilliancy as the trains neareach other. The

distance between trains may be gaged by the voltme ters 44 and 45, so that the engineers may determine the proper point for stopping or reversing.

In order that the engineer may be iniormed'as to the 'operativeness of the circuit, a lamp 50 is connected in series with each of the dynamos, and, if necessary, a switch may be installed in this circuit although il desired the lamp may be .arranged to burn continuously.

The pole changing switches 46 are utilized when trains are following eachother in the same direction in order to shift the circuits.

In order to provide for an automat-ic stoppage of a train, an electric motor 60 may be installed on each train, said motor being suitably connected through gearing to the reversing lever` or the engineers brake valve or both. This motor is arranged in the normally open circuit 6l with the dynamo', and the switch 62 of said circuit. is under the control of an electro magnet 63 that is connected by wires 64 in the signaling circuit. When thc signaling circuit is energized, the electromagnet 63 is also energized, and attracts an armature lever 64, which in turn trips the switch 62 and closes the circuit 61, so that the motor 60 Will be operated from the dynamo and will automatically actuate thc reversing lever, the engineers brake lever, orother train controlling element.-

1. In apparatus of the class described, a supporting rail having recessed sides, a pair of continuousibare conductors arranged within the recesses and insulated from each other. a traveling contact comprising a block having deg pending spaced anges serving as guards to prevent lateral play of said block, a detachable wear shoe carried by the block and arranged for contact with the upper surface ot' the support, a pair of levers pivoted to the block and in sulated therefrom, roller contacts arranged nt the lower ends ot' said levers and adapted to engage the conductors, roller guard flanges depending from the levers. posts carried by the block, and links connecting' said posts to the levers at a point above the fnlcrnms of the latter.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a supporting rail having recessed sides, a pair of continuous bare conductors arranged within the recesses and insulated from each other. a traveling contact comprisingy a block having spaced depending flanges arranged to engage against the opposite edges of the supportingv rail to prevent lateral displaceA ment of the block, a detachable wear shoe carried by the block and arranged for contact with the upper surface of the supporting rail, a' pair ot' levers pivotally connected to the block and insulatedtherefrom. loose stems mounted in said lever, contact rollers carried by the stems and arranged to engage the conductors. said arms having depending .flanges extending beyond the outer faces or' the rollers, posts secured to and extending upward from the block, links 'connecting said posts to the levers at points above the fulcrnms of the latter, whereby on upwardlnovement of the levers, the rollers will be swung ont oi' e11- gagement with the conductors before the posts and block are lifted by the links.

[n testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own. l have hereto affixed my signature in the presence o1' two witnesses.

CHARLES MILTON CLEAVLANI).

Witnesses 

